More Military Families Are Relying On Food Banks And Pantries

Volunteers at the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore sort and box food donations on a conveyor belt. The bank started working with groups like the USO in 2013 to provide food aid to families affiliated with nearby military bases. (NPR)

Despite the economic recovery, more than 46 million Americans — or 1 in 7 — used a food pantry last year. And a surprisingly high number of those seeking help were households with military members, according to a new survey by Feeding America, which is a network of U.S. food banks.

The survey — conducted in 2013 — found that almost 620,000 of the households using Feeding America services have at least one member currently in the military. That's one-quarter of all U.S. military households.

Deborah Flateman, president and CEO of the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore, says she isn't surprised. Last year, her food bank started working with groups like the USO to provide food aid to families affiliated with nearby military bases like Fort Meade.

She says, so far, they've used their mobile food pantry to distribute more than 200,000 pounds of food to military families.

"They're not unlike any of the other families that we serve," says Flateman. "They meet hardship and they need assistance with food."

And other food banks and pantries say they're seeing a similar increase.

Margaret Young is with the Calvary Assembly of God Church in Dover, Del., about a mile from Dover Air Force Base. She says she noticed about four years ago that more military families were showing up at the church food pantry for help. She says they're usually young, junior-level service members with kids.

"And then of course they have younger spouses," says Young. "And the spouses, you know, when you have to relocate every couple of months or every couple of years, however that works, it makes it harder for them to find jobs. I think that's the primary reason."

Maura Daly of Feeding America says that's what they found in their survey: Both military and nonmilitary families are having a difficult time making ends meet. She says even though most of their clients work, they often have to make difficult choices.

"Between things like food and paying for their utilities, food and paying for transportation, food and paying for medicine or housing," she says. "So these are literally choices that people have to make between eating, putting a roof over their head, keeping the lights on."

In a written statement, Pentagon spokesman Nate Christensen told NPR that the Defense Department is reviewing the survey results.

UPDATE Monday Aug. 18, 10:52 a.m.: After reviewing the results, Christensen wrote in an email, "The Department of Defense disagrees with the methodology that Feeding America used to calculate the estimated percentage of military households served by its food assistance programs."

But Christensen also said that military pay and benefits compare favorably with the private sector, and if a service member has financial troubles, counseling is available.

But Joyce Raezer, executive director of the National Military Family Association, a nonprofit group that supports military families, says service members are often reluctant to seek such help. That's especially the case now that the military is downsizing, she says.

"People are afraid to call attention to themselves. They don't know who's getting picked to be asked to leave and who's going to get to stay and what the criteria are. And so a lot of these families are just laying low," says Raezer.

Also, it can be embarrassing to admit you need help with food. Raezer wasn't at all surprised that we were unable to get any military families to go on record for this story.

"The reason they go to the food bank is it's anonymous," she says.

But Raezer has no doubt the need is there, even if the Feeding America numbers seem high to her. She says some families have trouble managing their finances, with all the disruptions of military life, and especially if there's an unexpected bill for something like a car repair.

"Which may mean at the end of the month, things are a little tighter than they should be," she says.

And free food at the pantry might be just what they need to get by.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Related:

Transcript

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

The American economy is in recovery, but still more than 46 million Americans - that's 1 in 7 people - used a food pantry last year. And a surprisingly high number of these people were from military families. That's according to a new study by Feeding America - which is a network of U.S. food banks. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

PAM FESSLER, BYLINE: Volunteers at the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore sort through boxes and cans of food as they pass by on a conveyor belt to be packed for distribution.

DEBORAH FLATEMAN: I'd send it down maybe to dessert.

FESSLER: Sweets are put in one box; canned vegetables go in another; cereal goes in another. This food bank, like others across the country, is facing a growing demand for food. And CEO Deborah Flateman says last year they started dealing with some new clients.

FLATEMAN: We've been at Fort Meade. We've been at Fort Detrick, the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

FESSLER: Those are local military bases. The food bank hasn't necessarily been at the bases, but nearby with its mobile food pantry, which distributed more than 200,000 pounds of food over the past year to military families.

FLATEMAN: They're not unlike any of the other families that we serve. You know, they meet hardship, and they need assistance with food. I'm thrilled that the Maryland Food Bank is the place that they come to get that assistance.

FESSLER: And other food banks and pantries say they're also seeing an increase.

MARGARET YOUNG: Absolutely. We're less than a mile from Dover Air Force Base here in Dover.

FESSLER: Margaret Young is with the Calvary Assembly of God Church in Dover, Delaware, where she oversees a food pantry. Young noticed about four years ago that more military families were showing up for help. She says they're usually young, junior-level, service members with kids.

YOUNG: And then of course they have younger spouses, and their spouses, you know, when you have to relocate every couple of months or every couple of years - however that works - it makes it harder for them to find jobs. I think that's the primary reason.

FESSLER: Because on one salary, it's hard for many families to make ends meet. Maura Daly of Feeding America says that's what they found in a recent survey of food bank clients - military and non-military alike, that even though most of their clients work, they face difficult financial decisions.

MAURA DALY: Between things like food and paying for their utilities, food and paying for transportation, food and paying for medicine or housing. So these are literally choices that people are having to make between eating, putting roof over their head, keeping the lights on.

FESSLER: And one of the survey's most striking findings was that more than 600,000 households using Feeding America programs have at least one member currently serving in the military. That's one quarter of all military households in the U.S. A Pentagon spokesman said in a written statement that the Defense Department's reviewing the results. But he also said that military pay and benefits compare favorably with the private sector. And if a service member has financial troubles, help is available. But Joyce Raezer, with the National Military Family Association - a nonprofit - says service members are reluctant to seek such help, especially now that the military is downsizing.

JOYCE RAEZER: People are afraid to call attention to themselves. They don't know who's getting picked to be asked to leave and who's going to get to stay and what the criteria are. And so a lot of these families are just laying low.

FESSLER: And it can also be plain embarrassing to need help. Raezer wasn't at all surprised that we were unable to get any military families seeking food aid to go on record for this story.

RAEZER: The reason they go to the food bank is it's anonymous.

FESSLER: But she says she has no doubt that the need is there, even if she thinks Feeding America's numbers might be on the high side. Raezer says some families have trouble managing their finances with all the disruptions of military life.

RAEZER: Which may mean at the end of the month, things are a little tighter than they should be.

FESSLER: And free food at the pantry might be just what they need to get by. Pam Fessler, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.